Hitachi Soshagu in Sosha, Ishioka is a prestigious shrine that, as the Sosha of Hitachi Province, enshrines the deities of all shrines in the province. Based on the Sosha system established so that the provincial governor could worship all deities at one shrine instead of touring them individually. The Ishioka Festival held each September is counted among Kanto's three great festivals, featuring g…

The origins of Hitachi Soshagu lie in the sosha system, a consolidated shrine institution established from the late Nara through the early Heian period, which allowed provincial governors to worship the deities of all shrines in the province at a single location rather than visiting each individuall…